Category: Uncategorised

The National Theatre’s incredible Public Acts production, Pericles, in partnership with the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, saw a company of over 200 amateur actors, dancers and musicians of all ages together with 10 professional actors, take over its Olivier stage this weekend.  The production has inspired audiences, empowered its participants and has celebrated and connected London’s diverse communities.

Here’s what the critics have been saying about this unique piece of community Theatre:

★★★★★  ‘The extraordinary ordinary people who fill the stage, fill our senses, fill our hearts with what our home can be’ Broadway World

★★★★★ ‘Inclusive, empowering, revitalising, celebratory, multicultural, multilingual and downright fun’ The Times

★★★★★ ‘A terrific example of what can be achieved when you set out to celebrate the glorious range of talent and people there is across London. I’m gleefully looking forward to the next stage of Public Acts’ Musical Theatre Review

★★★★ ‘The cast’s joy in taking part and its transformative power are palpable and very affecting, but I was also impressed by the rigour and discipline on view. An uplifting achievement ’The Independent

★★★★’Celebrates multicultural diversity with a zing that makes you want to dance in the aisles’ The Arts Desk

★★★★ ‘A joyous, lively and community-focused reimagining of Shakespeare’ The Stage

★★★★‘There’s no faulting the sheer scale, diversity and commitment of this production. It was something rarely seen on stage: art genuinely imitating life, with a stage teeming with young and old, energetic children and people in wheelchairs, and all sorts of ethnicities’ London Theatre 1

★★★★ ‘The cast of Pericles truly charms the audience, receiving a much-deserved standing ovation and making the Olivier stage a place of wonderful unity’ The Upcoming

‘A gradual transformative magic works on us’ The Daily Telegraph

‘The joy is watching ordinary folk come out of their shells’ What’s On Stage

We are changing the ways that we get in contact with you.

Outer Limits: Call Out

At the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, it is a priority for us to encourage the development of emerging artists based in East London and Essex.  As such, we are opening up the opportunity for local artists and companies to propose small-scale productions to be performed on our Foyer stage this Autumn.

We have a number of slots from late August through to January 2019 and preference will be given to shows that have already been created, already touring and/or booked for any festivals.

 

Technical information: The Foyer stage sound desk can handle 12 sound inputs including mics, iPod and laptops.  As well as the sound desk, a production on the foyer stage will have access to 5 microphones, a cd player and two PA speakers and an FX unit for microphone reverbs. Lighting is 4 stage lights (Par Cans) in a warm white colour. These are at a constant level throughout.

 

To apply, please complete the application form and email to our Programming and Producer Co-ordinator, Tom Hurley, at artistcallout@queens-theatre.co.uk

 

Outer Limits Application Form

Closing date for application is 10am Monday 9 April.

As part of our fundraising weekend, we will be holding a silent auction to raise vital funds for our youth drama groups.

Our silent auction prize will be a private flight, scheduled to leave from Thurrock or North Weald, suitable for two adults or 1 adult and 2 children. The flight will take in the outstanding views across Essex and Cambridgeshire before landing at Duxford.

Enjoy taking in the Imperial War Museum’s impressive collection of planes, military vehicles, artillery and minor naval vessels in seven main exhibition buildings.

The reserve on this fun and unique experience is £250, you can make bids by emailing Tom Lowe, Relationships Officer, at toml@queens-theatre.co.uk

Get your bids in by Sunday 9 July, 9pm.

The winner will be contacted Monday 10 July.

The staff at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch came to work in their favourite Onesies to help raise money for a young local boy’s curable treatment abroad.

7-year-old Nathan is a happy and cheeky little boy that lives with a rare condition – Hypothalamic Hamartoma. He was diagnosed in October 2014 and suffers daily from different types of epileptic seizures, gelastics, complex-partial seizures, drop attacks, tonic-clonic seizures, all resulting in him having between 15-25 seizures a day.

More recently Nathan was diagnosed with Autism, ADHD and ODD, which are all linked to the condition. Unfortunately the NHS will not fund his treatment, but there is a high chance of curability from a treatment that is only available in Texas, USA.

If you would like to donate and help Nathan live a normal life visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/nathan-box

 

Opening Night was just days ago, but the Queen’s Theatre is delighted to announce that Partners in Crime has been nominated for no less than THREE prestigious awards.

 

This inventive adaptation by Sarah Punshon and Johann Hari of Agatha Christie‘s gripping thriller has been nominated for Best Director (John Nicholson), Best Lighting Designer (Howard Hudson) and Best Set Designer (Tom Rogers) by the Off West End Theatre Awards. Running until 19 November, Partners in Crime is presented by the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Eleanor Lloyd Productions in association with The Watermill Theatre.

 

Also known as The Offies, the Off West End Awards recognise and celebrate the excellence, innovation and ingenuity of independent theatres across London.

 

Partners in Crime also scooped a fantastic five-star review from popular theatre website Reviews Hub.

 

Here’s what the critics think:

‘Gift-wrapped and delectable…Dazzling skill at a breath-taking pace.’

Reviews Hub

 

‘Charming and hilarious…The staging is stunning…highly inventive’

‘Exquisitely precise timing resulting in laugh-out-loud hilarity’

London Theatre 1

 

‘Jolly japes and lively escapism’

‘Good old-fashioned fun’

‘Incredibly versatile and impressive set’

Romford Recorder

 

‘Top notch…non-stop action and comedy’

Phoenix FM

 

‘A fantastic performance with perfect comic timing’

Hornchurch Life

 

‘A very enjoyable watch that kept you guessing until the very end.’

Yellow Advertiser

 

‘A real treat’

Essex Life

 

‘A thoroughly gorgeous piece of stage-craft and ensemble work.’

Anne at the Theatre

 

Read all reviews in full here.

 

Tickets are £12.50 – £29. Call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or book online.

As the evenings draw in, what could be better than settling back into the darkness and revelling in a gripping thriller? Well, the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch has just the ticket with Agatha Christie’s Partners in Crime.

 

Running from 28 October – 19 November, Partners in Crime is presented by the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Eleanor Lloyd Productions, in association with The Watermill Theatre. It stars Christie’s much-loved detective duo, Tommy and Tuppence.

 

1920s London. Home from the War, flat-broke and unemployed, our twenty-something heroes Tommy and Tuppence embark on a daring business scheme: ‘The Young Adventurers Limited’… willing to go anywhere, willing to do anything. No unreasonable offer refused! But their first assignment plunges them into more danger than they ever imagined and they quickly find themselves sucked into a perilous world of political intrigue, criminal conspiracy, murder and mayhem!

 

Partners in Crime is an inventive adaptation by Sarah Punshon and Johann Hari of Christie’s The Secret Adversary, originally produced by The Watermill Theatre in February 2015. Loyal, pragmatic Tommy is the perfect foil for pretty, plucky Tuppence, a whirlwind of infectious exuberance. Audiences will love following the fortunes of this adorable intrepid twosome, who are well-known recurring characters in Christie’s novels and short stories. The Queen’s Theatre’s unmissable autumn finale is shot through with fast-paced action, cracking comedy, live music, a dash of romance and even some marvellous magic tricks!

 

Playing Tommy and Tuppence are Richard Holt (Swallows and Amazons at the National, The Light Princess at the Tobacco Factory) and Naomi Sheldon (Royal Shakespeare Company, Red Dwarf XI, The Hour). They are joined by: Rebecca Bainbridge, Philip Battley, Isla Carter, Inga Davis-Rutter, Nigel Lister and Morgan Philpott. Credits include numerous West End productions, international tours as well as work with the country’s leading venues and production companies such as Shakespeare’s Globe, the Old Vic, The Vaults Waterloo, New Wolsey Ipswich, the Watermill, the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Polka and the Orange Tree. Film and television credits include Downton Abbey and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

 

Director John Nicholson is a founding member of the award-winning theatre company, Peepolykus. John has taken shows such as Spyski and The Hound of the Baskervilles on national and international tours and directed Nina Conti’s Dolly Mixtures. He has written extensively for BBC Radio and also has numerous acting credits across the BBC and ITV.

 

Design is by Tom Rogers, music by Alex Silverman, musical direction by Inga Davis-Rutter, lighting design by Howard Hudson, Rachel Bowen is Associate Lighting Designer, sound design  is by Adrienne Quartly, choreography by Nancy Kettle, John Bulleid is magic consultant, fight direction is by Bret Yount and casting direction by Matthew Dewsbury.

 

Tickets are from £12.50 – £29. Call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or book online.

The Queen’s Theatre’s exciting Outer Limits festival continues with Carry On Jaywick by acclaimed Romford writer Dan Murphy on Wednesday 26 October in the Foyer at 8pm.

 

This verbatim play explores Jaywick, the Essex coast’s former seaside gem currently ranked as Britain’s most deprived town.

 

Through 18 months of research trips and interviews with residents, writer Dan Murphy has created a new piece of theatre telling a pertinent and often surprising story about inequality in the UK today. Carry on Jaywick is about home, identity and not letting life grind you down.

 

“Shine on every day and night. And that’s how we get through Jaywick.”

 

The Queen’s Theatre’s Outer Limits is a vibrant new rolling festival of original, heart-warming, hard-hitting performances made by local artists for all ages to enjoy – which has been running from September and continues into February. Not only does it celebrate local creativity, but also the diversity and different needs and interests of this community.

 

Up-and-coming playwright Dan Murphy grew up in Gidea Park and went to school in Emerson Park. He also attended the Step by Step stage school at Fairkytes Arts Centre and completed a short stint of work experience at the Queen’s Theatre. Dan’s hilarious, heartfelt drama, Skinny Legs, launched the Outer Limits festival.

 

Passionate about bringing the life and voices of his hometown and the surrounding Essex county to the stage, Dan presented his debut play A Local Boy last year. It toured the UK and enjoyed a short West End run. He has been shortlisted for the BBC Trans Comedy and the Old Vic New Voices 24 Hour Plays awards and has developed work with some of the country’s best venues and theatre companies including the Royal Court, National Theatre, Tobacco Factory and Theatre 503.

 

Outer Limits continues throughout the autumn and into the spring with the following offerings:

• Singing in the Corner, 30 November – In a night of ‘posh karaoke’, the Queen’s provides an MC and piano-player, and anyone and everyone can take to the stage with a song!
• Writenight, 30 January – An evening showcasing new writing from local up-and-coming playwrights performed by professional actors as rehearsed readings on stage.
• Hackney Colliery Band, 10 February – This hugely inventive brass band’s influences are as diverse as the London borough that gives them their name – from rock and afro to        hip-hop and Balkan beats, they’ll blow the roof off with their high-energy rhythms.

 

For more information, call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or book online.

Staff from the Queen’s Theatre were honoured to collect their award for UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre award for the East region at the UK Theatre Awards on Sunday.

Box Office Manager Jan Sullivan, Deputy Box Office Manager Julia Jones, Head of Facilities and Audiences Terry Abbott, Assistant Manager Peter Thorne, Supervisor Maureen Wilson and Acting Marketing Manager Sarah Soliman attended the ceremony held at London’s historic Guildhall.

The Theatre is among 12 regional winners and the awards, voted for by the public, are a wonderful opportunity for audiences to celebrate their local theatre.

The Queen’s Theatre’s Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul says: ‘We’re delighted to win this award. Thank you to everyone who voted and to the team at the Queen’s Theatre. We’re working hard to be a welcoming, accessible venue – our customer service is warm and efficient and our varied programme of entertainment offers something for all ages and interests. Crucially, we’re reaching out to many more members of the community – who may not have previously felt able to visit the theatre – with several new initiatives, from £1 ticket offers to Relaxed Performances for audiences with autism and Dementia-Friendly performances.’

Vanessa Redgrave CBE received The Gielgud Award for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts at the ceremony, while Sir Ian McKellen collected the award for Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre.

This year’s nominations demonstrate the breadth and depth of outstanding talent and achievement in theatre and the performing arts throughout the United Kingdom, on and off stage. The full list can be viewed at www.uktheatre.org

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is overjoyed to win the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre award for the East region in the UK Theatre Awards, in association with Smooth Radio.

 

The Theatre is among 12 regional winners announced this morning by UK Theatre and all will be invited to the annual UK Theatre Awards ceremony on 9 October at London’s historic Guildhall, where the overall winner will be announced.

 

The award, which is voted for by the public, is an opportunity for audiences to celebrate their local theatre.

 

Julian Bird, Chief Executive of UK Theatre, said: “Theatres play a vital role in communities across the UK, so it has been wonderful to see so many votes cast. This campaign brings together audiences, theatres, performers and producers and gives everyone the opportunity to celebrate their local venue.”

 

Smooth Radio presenter Paul Phear said: “It is a privilege to team up with UK Theatre once again as we crown the nation’s Most Welcoming Theatre. This Award is even more special because it is the audiences, including our Smooth Radio listeners, who have chosen the winner. I look forward to announcing the result next month.”

 

Lesley Manville OBE will be compèring at the ceremony, where Vanessa Redgrave CBE will be receiving The Gielgud Award for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts, while Sir Ian McKellen will collect the award for Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre.

 

This year’s nominations demonstrate the breadth and depth of outstanding talent and achievement in theatre and the performing arts throughout the United Kingdom, on and off stage. The full list can be viewed at www.uktheatre.org

 

Follow UK Theatre on Twitter @UK_Theatre

 

For more information about the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or visit queens-theatre.co.uk